This invention relates to a method of making brake rods for railcars.
In railcars the connections between brake levers of the brake system are made by utilizing brake rods, sometimes referred to as bottom rods.
Common methods of making brake rods have included forging the brake rod in flat then forming the flat forging into the desired brake rod shape to form a brake rod having a hollow tube portion, arc welding brake rod jaws having a specially designed pocket on the ends of a solid bar to form the brake rod, resistance butt welding brake rod jaws to the ends of a solid bar to form the brake rod and heating and bending the end of a solid rod around the back portion of a specially designed brake rod jaw then cold forming the lugs on the jaw over the bent rod end to form a tight fit between the rod and jaw thereby forming the brake rod.